The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, in Delta State, and Deputy President of the 9th Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Age, have described the action of the Delta State House of Assembly, DSHA, to declare the seat of the member representing Udu State Constituency, Egbetamah Ovie Collins, vacant following his defection to the party as unconstitutional, unjust, politically motivated, and a threat to democratic principles.
In a statement signed by the Delta State Publicity Secretary of the NDC, McCollins Nwose, and made available to journalists, the party accused the Assembly of applying double standards, noting that politicians who previously defected from the PDP to the APC retained their seats without similar sanctions.
The NDC condemned the decision, saying it amounted to an abuse of legislative powers and an attempt to silence opposition voices in the state.
According to the party, the mandate held by Egbetamah belongs to the people of Udu State Constituency and not to any political party, maintaining that removing him from office over his defection undermines the will of the electorate and violates constitutional provisions.
The NDC called on civil society organisations, democracy advocates, and the people of Delta State to reject what it described as a dangerous precedent and to defend constitutional democracy.
The party reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the democratic rights and mandate of the people.
Similarly, Senator Ovie Omo-Age, condemned the Assembly over the removal of Egbetamah as representative of Udu State Constituency, describing the action as “hasty, arbitrary, oppressive, and illegal.”
In a statement he personally signed on Wednesday, the Obarisi of Urhoboland said the House’s decision was not constitutional but a political move.
“I condemn in the strongest terms the reported decision of the Delta State House of Assembly to remove Hon. Collins Egbetamah, the duly elected representative of Udu State Constituency, without a fair hearing.
“This was not constitutional housekeeping. It was a hasty, arbitrary, oppressive, and illegal act intended to achieve a political objective that disparages and injures the people of Udu, the wider Urhobo nation, and Delta state.”
Addressing the legal basis cited by the House, Omo-Agege argued that Section 109(1)(g) of the Constitution does not apply without exception.
“The House relies on Section 109(1)(g) as if it admits of no exception. The Constitution provides an exception where a defection arises from a division in the original party.
“That question of fact was never examined in any legislative hearing. There was also no judicial determination. The matter was rushed because a process grounded in the constitutional right to a fair hearing would not have produced the House’s predetermined outcome,” he stated.
Senator Omo-Agege said a legislative mandate cannot be ended without hearing the lawmaker, warning that bypassing due process amounts to tyranny. “A mandate freely given by the people of Udu cannot be extinguished in a single sitting by voice vote. That is disturbing, disrespectful, and unacceptable. It was not the intendment of the framers of our constitution. We are not a Banana Republic,” Omo-Agege warned.
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